Now Or Never
by Flufferz
Summary: After Desmond's near death lands him with a new team, he realizes his part in the Assassin-Templar war is far from over. He is accepted into a fold of a tightly knit group whose goal is to stop Juno once and for all, before she takes over the entire human race. With no more Animus sessions, Desmond is thrusted into the field to fulfill his duties as an Assassin. It's now or never.
1. Chapter 1

"Come on! We haven't got all day! Every second we waste, that's another second we might lose him."A white clad woman yelled. The three men following her rolled their eyes. "It's not like we're losin' daylight or anythin'. We're in the middle of a freakin' cave!"One retorted, voice thick with a Southern accent. "Yeah Jacob's right Kara, it's not like we're relying on sunlight or anything."Another agreed with the one who'd spoken before him. The woman, Kara, turned around to stare stoically at the two men. "Sure you two. Let's just dilly dally in the Grand Temple, despite the fact that every human on this Earth is counting on us to find the one man who can help us defeat Juno who, might I add, is getting closer to death every second we waste, just because we don't have to rely on the sun. Sounds lovely."She said, an edge to her tone. The third male placed a hand on Kara's shoulder.

"Kara, instead of appeasing these idiots by responding to their stupidity, why don't you and I continue our journey?"He suggested calmly.

Kara nodded in agreement. "You're right."She looked at the other two. "Steven, Jacob, stay up here and make sure we still have a way out. Jeremy and I will go find Desmond."She ordered. They sighed, but nodded nonetheless. She and Jeremy continued to make their way into the temple. "Ya know, she was a whole lot nicer 'fore her finger got cut off."Jacob could be heard saying. Kara growled under her breath, making Jeremy chuckle.

"You know he's just trying to get a reaction right?"

"I know that."

"Then why are you letting him get to you?"

"I...I don't know."

Jeremy smiled softly at his longtime teammate. "This Desmond fella really has you worked up. Normally it's hard to get you to show any kind of emotion. What's going on in your head?"He said. Kara let out a sigh. "I don't know Jeremy. I think it's the fact that someone's life is depending on how well I do my job. It's stressful."She admitted. "Kara, honey, you're twenty seven years old, and you've already mastered most of Altair's techniques. I think you do your job pretty well. This Desmond guy will be fine."

"But what if he isn't? What if we're too late? What if-"

"Kara, quit stressing yourself out with those questions. We're almost there."

The two drifted into a silence, leaving Kara to her worries and Jeremy to trying not to fall on the slippery ground. After a while, they came to the place where just three days ago, Desmond Miles had released Juno and saved the Earth. From the Sun at least. They simultaneously groaned when they noticed cracks sprouting in the ground. "You know what this means, right?"Jeremy asked. "This mean, you'll have to go get him yourself. You know I can't make those jumps by myself, let alone with another person."He said, pointing at the gaps between said cracks. Kara rolled her eyes and slipped off the hoodie she was wearing, tossing it to Jeremy. She pulled her dark hair into a ponytail and threw a smirk at her cohort. "Watch and learn."She said, boasting just a little. He watched with amusement as her slender figure effortlessly flew over each gap until she reached the body of Desmond.

Kara looked at the dimly glowing orb, and then to Desmond. She squatted down to his level and pressed two fingers against his neck, feeling for a pulse. She let out a small, breathy laugh of victory. He was still alive! Now how to get him out of here was the next problem. Not knowing what else to do, she shook him gently. "Hey, it's time to move. Get up."She said. Kara frowned when he didn't respond. "Hey!"She tried again, shaking him harder. All she got was an almost inaudible groan. Licking her lips, Kara nodded to herself. She knew what she had to do. She grabbed his forearm and forced him into a sitting up position. "He's dead weight Jeremy!"She yelled. "You can do it!"Came his reply. Kara's eyes narrowed. "Useless stronzo."She muttered, managing to hoist Desmond up the rest of the way. She almost fell over when his full body fell against her own. "God you're heavy..."She said, slowing moving towards the first crack in the ground. "We're just going to have to jump and hope for the best Desmond."Kara told the unconscious man. After taking a deep breath, she made the first jump.

She almost dropped him.

"Cazzo!"She cursed loudly, gripping Desmond tighter and pulling him closer to her. She couldn't let him fall.

"You know, you're only like a quarter Italian right? Why do you always speak in it?"Jeremy asked.

Kara's head snapped up to look at him. "It sounds more pleasing to the ear. Would you rather me sound like Jacob?"

"I'd rather you didn't sound like him at all."

Kara nodded and started her process again. Jump, hold on tightly to Desmond before he fell through a crack, and repeat. After about fifteen minutes, she'd managed to get back over to Jeremy. "A little help maybe?"She said, giving him a pointed look. He chuckled and grabbed Desmond's other arm, supporting half of his weight. "Let's get out of here."He said. Kara nodded. "Agreed."With that, the two of them made their way to where they'd left their teammates.

"Hey you got him!"Steven exclaimed when they came into view. "You didn't need us after all "Jacob pointed out. Kara glared at him. "You two are getting all of the chores for the next three weeks you lame excuses for Assassins."Snarled Kara. They sighed, but quickly changed the subject. "So what're we gonna do with him?"Jacob asked.

"We're gonna take him back-"Jeremy started, but was quickly cut off by Kara. "WE, as in Jeremy and I, are going to get Desmond to the safety of the warehouse. There, I will try to help him regain consciousness. You two, are going to make it look like we were never here."

"What about his dad? And his friends? Shouldn't they know he's alive?"Steven asked.

"I was wondering that too Kara..."Jeremy echoed.

"We'll have to wait. We don't know where they are, and we don't know how to contact them. Besides, we need to figure out if he's going to be alive much longer."

The group drifted into a silence while Kara thought. "Do you, you know, think he'll die Kara?"Jacob asked. Kara licked her lips and shook her head. "I don't think so...at least...I hope not."She said. "I really hope not...he might be the last chance we have..."She admitted. The quartet grew silent once more, making their way through the temple. Sighs of delight escaped the men when sunlight was seen. "Fresh air!"They all three exclaimed with joy. Kara simply shook her head in amusement. Her boys were strange people. "Let's get this Desmond guy into the van."Steven said, opening the back doors of said van. "Jeremy, Jacob, get in the back and help me pull him up."Kara ordered. The two jumped in the back, leaving Kara to support Desmond on her own again.

Only this time, he stirred.

"Desmond?"Kara asked hopefully. She got a grunt in reply. Good enough. "If you can hear me Desmond, open your eyes. Please."Kara half way begged. "Kara you never beg! You just order! Why's he so damn special?"Jacob asked. She ignored him and continued to talk to Desmond. "Eyes. Open them."She demanded. With a groan, she saw his eyes crack open. A grin consumed her face when they opened fully. Desmond looked at her with wide eyes, and in silence. Seconds later, he tried to jerk away. Kara lost her balance and fell backwards, taking Desmond with her. She landed on her back with an "oompf". She groaned when Desmond landed on top of her. She expected him to get up, but found he fell unconscious again. Kara sighed heavily. "One of you. Help."She said. The guys did nothing, and instead laughed at her predicament. "So this is why we had to save this guy. So Kara could get freaky with him."Steven said.

"Kara, using us to get yourself laid is no ways to utilize our talents."Jacob chimed in.

"Help me. Now."Kara demanded.

"Look at her, gettin' all demandin'!"

"Think we oughta listen?"Steven asked.

"Naw, she's pinned down pretty good."

Now irritated, Kara's eyes narrowed. "I said, NOW!"She yelled. They quit laughing. When Kara yelled, you did what she said, or else. "I told you. 'Fore she lost that damn finger, she was a much nicer gal."Jacob muttered, grabbing one of Desmond's arms while Steven grabbed the other. Jeremy grabbed Kara's hand and pulled her up. "No need to yell sweetface."He told her, using his nickname for her. Kara just brushed the grass off of her back. "If it gets these idiotas to work, yes, there's all the need to yell. Let's get Desmond to the warehouse before I kill them."

"Right away boss!"Jeremy teased, bringing a slight smile to Kara's face. "Hop to it."She ordered jokingly.

* * *

When Kara and Jeremy made it back to the warehouse, Desmond had yet to regain consciousness. "He'll wake up Kara."Jeremy reassured her, holding her hand. She sighed heavily. "I hope so."She said quietly. She peered into the back of the van where Desmond was. "I still don't get it. You only know what you've heard people say. Why do you think he'll be the answers to our prayers?"Jeremy asked. Kara looked into his dark brown eyes. "Don't you understand Jeremy? This man is the reason we're all alive right now. He saved us."She said.

"From the Sun. Just the Sun. Now Juno's released, and she's plotting to enslave us all as we speak."He retorted. "A much worse fate if you ask me."

"I don't recall asking you Jeremy. I agree with his decision."Kara snapped. "I think he was extremely under utilized in his former group. I know he can do more."

"Don't get snappy with me Kara. I'm just asking what the rest of us are. We don't understand your motives."

"Look, just trust me on this, okay?"Kara said. "You'll understand when he wakes up."She stood up, and went into the back, opening the van's doors. "Let's just get him into a room already then."Jeremy said, hoisting the man up. The two managed to get him out of the vehicle without dropping him. "I'll leave you to carry him up to his room. Since you refuse to give details, I'll refuse my services."Jeremy said, walking away from her. Kara rolled her eyes. Jeremy was in a mood. Just because he didn't understand Desmond's usefulness, he was going to be bitter and annoying. "Pigro bastardo!"She yelled after him. He chose not to respond. Kara shook her head at him, wondering how the hell she'd put up with him for the past twenty years.

**Okie dokie, here's where my Author Notes shall go. Aka, rants and information about the chapter. This story is already unfolding pretty quickly in my head, and my muses are pretty awesome with it so updating each chapter won't take too terribly long. So I think that's really it for this chapter...review your opinions, whether you love it or hate it. Pointers and tips are welcomed. And if you wanna see more, favorite!**


	2. Chapter 2

Jeremy leaned on the door frame of Desmond Miles's room, staring in at his motionless form. He'd been out for a few days now. Each day he didn't wake up caused Kara to become more and more stressed. She was being emotional; something Kara didn't do. In all of the years he'd known her, she'd never ever acted like this. She'd trained herself to not let emotions get in the way. People often compared her to the great Altair Ibn-La'Ahad because of it. Whilst Kara took that as an extreme compliment, Jeremy did not. Altair was a real good Assassin, one of, if not the best. But the man had serious issues with emotions. Kara, on the other hand, didn't. She just didn't like to show them. Not since Damien died.

"Is he awake yet?"asked Steven as he came to stand next to Jeremy.

"No. Not even a flicker of movement."

"It's been three days Jeremy."

"I know that. How's Kara doing since we barred her from his room?"

"She's going insane. Keeps trying to use her rank against us. Jacob's keeping her distracted right now."

"Making fun of her finger?"

Steven grinned. "You know that's his favorite pastime."He chuckled. Jeremy smiled and also chuckled. "On a more serious note, why don't you try to work on locating his old group Steven. If you find them, it might relax Kara a little."He suggested. Steven nodded. "Good idea. While I do that though, why don't you go try to calm down Kara? She seems to respond to you the best."

"That's also a good idea. We'll send Jacob over here then."

"Sounds like a plan."

The two went their separate ways, Steven to the makeshift technological center and Jeremy to their makeshift kitchen. Honestly, Jeremy wouldn't really call it a kitchen. Two mini fridges and an ancient microwave weren't exactly the greatest tools to keep four people fully nourished As he neared the room, he could distinctly hear Kara and Jacob's voices. They seemed to be arguing. '_Those two fight like an old married couple.'_ Jeremy thought, a smile etched on his face. "Just lemme touch it Kara."Jacob said. Jeremy's brows shot up in surprise. What? He quickened his pace until he finally saw his two teammates.

"Jacob, if you touch my finger, I will kill you."Kara threatened with a snarl.

"Don't you mean the stump where your finger should be?"Jacob taunted, a cheeky grin on his face.

"JACOB!"Shouted Kara, annoyance clear in her tone. Jeremy took this opportunity to save Jacob from a possible Kara attack. "Your turn Jake. Go stand guard."He told him. Jacob turned to look at Jeremy. "But, I'm havin' such a good time! She's gettin' so flustered."He complained, his dark blue eyes taking on an almost puppyish look. Not fazed by the puppy dog eyes, Jeremy jabbed his finger in the direction of Desmond's room. "Go."He ordered. Jacob sighed and stood up. "Fine. I'll go watch the unconscious guy. 'Cause that's so entertaining."

"I remember you having a GameBoy to pass the time. What happened to that?"Jeremy inquired.

A small smirk crossed Jacob's features. "It broke."He said, pushing some of his shaggy brunette hair back.

"How the hell did that happen?"

"I threw it at his head. He dodged, and it shattered onto the floor."Kara answered. Jacob laughed, recalling the memory. "It was worth it. So worth it."He said, walking off towards Desmond's room. "Keep your walkie on and let us know of any changes!"Kara yelled at his retreating form. Jacob reached his hand down to his belt and unhooked the walkie talkie, shaking it in the air. "Gotcha!"He yelled in return. Kara glanced away from Jacob settled her eyes on Jeremy, who'd taken his spot. "How is he?"She asked.

"He's alive still. Nothing really has changed. Steven said he rolled over during his watch, but he didn't move during mine. Hopefully Jacob will have better luck."

"Have we started to look for his Dad yet? And his friends? William Miles, Shaun Hastings, and Rebecca Crane?"

Jeremy let out a breathy laugh. "You act like you're the only one who knows how to give orders. Steven's on it. And yes, before you ask, he knows their names. We all do."He told her with a somewhat pointed look. Kara nodded in approval. "So why am I not allowed to stand guard Jeremy? Why am I the only one not allowed to watch over him?"She asked, using what the others called her "Big Girl" voice. "It's for your own good. You're stressed enough as it is. Being on guard would just increase your stress."

"I'm not a child Jeremy. I can handle stress."

"Just because you can, doesn't mean you should."He told her. "Look, you did all the work prior to this. You're the one that somehow knew he wasn't dead, which by the way you still haven't shared with the rest of us how you knew, you're the one that knew exactly where he was, and you're the one that got him out of the Temple and to the safety here. Let us do something for once, huh?"Kara slumped in her chair with a defeated look on her face. "You know how useless you're making me feel, right?"She asked. Jeremy's lips slid into a smile. "You'll be fine. I'm sure he's going to wake up any day now. Then you can relax and begin your planning to stop Juno."

Before she could respond, Kara's walkie talkie crackled to life. "Uh, Kara? You might want to come see what I just found."came Steven's voice. Grabbing the device, she rose a brow at it. "What is it Steven?"She asked. "I can't really explain. Just, come here."He said hurriedly. "I'll be right there."She said, and placed the walkie back into its case on her belt loop. She stood and walked briskly away from the kitchen, leaving Jeremy alone.

"Glad you came so fast."Steven said when she walked in. She gave a quick smile before getting serious. "What's this thing you've found?"She asked. He beckoned her over to his computer screen, and she leaned over his shoulder. She groaned when she saw the YouTube website logo. "Steven, seriously? What good can YouTube do?"She complained, annoyed he'd wasted her time with this. "It can do us a hell of a lot of good. Look at the President's latest message to the People."He said, pointing to the screen. He clicked play and Kara watched the video intently. "Wait a second, pause this."She said. Once he had done so, she pointed to a man who couldn't be more than thirty five years old, next to the President. "Isn't that the guy who replaced Vidic? What was his name again?"

"Markis Evans."Steven supplied.

"What in God's name is he doing next to the President?"

"That's what I was confused about. And the fact that the President is trying to eliminate the right to bear arms raises many suspicions, does it not?"

"It does. Do you think maybe it's Evans's influence?"

Steven scratched at his beard and shrugged. "I'm not sure. That's why I called you in here."He said. Kara glanced back at the computer screen and stared at Evans. He had a cocky smirk plastered on his face as he stood proudly behind the President. "I don't understand. When did the Templars get in with our President?"She questioned. Steven shrugged again. "Who knows? Maybe the President himself is a Templar."He joked. Kara shot him a glare before returning to the video. Once the video had run its course, Kara sat in a chair next to Steven's desk. "Go to Abstergo Industries's website. Maybe that'll give us some clues."Kara ordered. Steven nodded and went to Abstergo's home page.

The two scanned every letter of the website, hoping to find some information about Evans. They were not disappointed. "It says here that he'd been working under Vidic for years and they shared a close friendship. He says that he was extremely mortified to discover that someone would murder him, as he was nothing but a peaceful man."Kara laughed humorlessly. "Peaceful my ass. That guy was a sadistic bastard."She said, shaking her head. "Continue on Steven."

"His plans for Abstergo are to make the company more involved in politics, where the best opportunities lie. He also is starting a campaign for world peace."Steven scoffed. "God, how are people buying this shit? Seriously, how stupid is the human race?"He sighed and turned to Kara, who was deep in thought. "What are you thinking about? Are you making sense of his bullshit?"He asked. Kara nodded. "I think I know what his game is. Get in good with the political leaders, who have the most power, so that he can convince them to carry out his will. For example, no guns means less opposition for his forces."She explained. "What about the campaign for world peace?"Steven questioned.

"He needs an excuse to go global right? See if there's anything that talks about him going on a trip or something."

"Got it."

Several clicks later, he had an answer. "You were right. In two weeks he's going to visit the Royal Family in London."Steven reported. Kara nodded. "He'll be close to all of London's decision makers. This isn't good. This is bad, very bad."She stood and started to pace around in a circle "This means the Templars just gained yet another advantage against us. They're going public. The people have accepted them too it seems. Shit, shit, shit."

"I still don't understand something though. How is he convincing all of these political leaders to bend to his will so easily? He can't be that good of a negotiator."Steven's words stopped Kara's pacing. "Where's the Apple of Eden?"She demanded. "Does Desmond's group still have it?"She asked in a fearful tone. If Abstergo had the Apple...

"As far as I know. Desmond was the last to have it. They weren't stupid either, they more than likely kept it safe."Steven answered.

"Then how _is _he convincing these people?"

"Look, maybe I can do a little research on him. See if anything comes up."He suggested. Kara nodded. "Put finding Desmond's Dad and friends on hold. After we figure this out, we'll find them."She said. Steven nodded in understanding. "Will do boss."With that, he went about his research. Kara had just exited the technology center when her walkie talkie came to life again. "Kara? You there?"Asked Jacob. Rolling her eyes, she picked up the walkie. "If this is about my damn finger again Jacob, I swear to God I really will kill you. Now is not the time."She growled. "It's not about your finger, this is way more important."He replied quickly. "What is it then?"

"Desmond's waking up."

**Howdy! So, apologies are in order. I would've updated a looooong time ago, but my internet took a shit. So. Sorry! And just so you know, now that Desy-Mondy is awake, things will get longer, and chapters will come out faster. Why? I love this man. That's why. Also, to those questioning how the hell he's still alive, stay tuned! I will explain that! I believe this is all...? Review, favorite, all other good things that writers on Fanfic like. **

**OH! One last thing! My fellow writer, and AC fan(person who got me in the series actually) has her own story you should check out. It's called Bonds Thicker Than Blood and it's by Topropeflyer. If you like what I'm putting out, go read that. She's extremely talented, and the story is awesome.**


	3. Chapter 3

Pain. There was pain. A lot of it. Mostly in his right arm. Desmond managed to crack his eyes open after much strain. Confusion set in as he took in his surroundings. He was in a room. That was all he could muster up. His brain didn't seem to want to work fully. He jumped when his name was called. He turned in the direction of the voice and came face to face with a black haired woman. Who was she? Her hazel eyes were filled with concern and another emotion...excitement? Why would this stranger be so excited about him? Come to think of it...wasn't he supposed to die? He'd given up his life to save billions...hadn't he? Had that been a weird and freaky dream? "I'm glad you're awake."The woman said. Desmond noted her voice held a sweet, yet authoritive tone. Odd combination. "Where am I?"Desmond managed to choke out. He suddenly became aware of the burning in his throat. Seemingly noticing this, the woman yelled at one of the men behind her to get Desmond water.

"You're in a safe place Desmond, don't worry."The woman said, finally answering his question to his whereabouts.

"Where is safe?"He asked, wincing as he did so.

"Well, right now you're not far off from where you last were. You're in New York City in one of our safe houses."The woman explained. Before Desmond could respond, one of the men that had left to get Desmond water returned. "Got his water Kara."He said, handing her the bottled water. So the woman's name was Kara. "Thanks Jake."She said, flashing him a small smile. Kara turned to Desmond and handed him the bottle. "Here Desmond, drink up."She said. Desmond did not need to be told twice. He greedily guzzled down the water, relishing in the cooling sensation it created in his burning throat. "Kara, we might have a problem."Said a male who had just entered the room. Desmond looked at him curiously, wondering what problem there was. "What's wrong Steven?"Kara asked. The man ran a hand over his beard and sighed. "Seems like Abstergo's pretty upset that Desmond isn't where he's supposed to be. They had sent a team to collect his body, but were quite shocked when they found him not there."The man, Steven, said.

"I am now extremely glad you knew he was alive. I'd hate to see what they'd use him for now."Said a new voice.

Desmond noticed a different male leaning on the door frame of the room. He was smiling at the apparent only female in this group. "I am too. I'd hate for him to be subjected to what Markis would put him through. If he thought Vidic was bad..."Steven added in. Kara nodded in agreement, and turned back to Desmond. "Before we go any further with that, I'm going to say that you're very confused right now."She said. Desmond nodded. "Yeah, just a bit."He answered, finding it easier to talk now. "Well then, let's start with the basics."She said. "That is Jeremy Vyrubova."She said, pointing to the man leaning on the door frame. He nodded at Desmond in acknowledgement. "Steven O'Connell."The man with the beard gave Desmond a slight wave. "I'm Jacob Samuels. The leader of this here group."Said the man who'd fetched the water. Steven and Jeremy laughed. "As if. If you were the leader, we would've died long ago."Steven said. Jacob glared at Steven. "Jus' what's that sposed to mean?"He asked.

"That Kara is a better leader than you could ever dream of being?"Jeremy supplied.

"I'd rather listen to her than you."Steven said.

Desmond felt slightly amused at the banter between the three men. "I'm Kara Johnson, as Jeremy said, I'm the leader of this group."Kara said, bringing his attention back to her. "Before I explain to you what's going on, do you need anything else? Hungry? In pain?"Kara asked. "More water please?"Desmond asked, looking down at the empty bottle in his hands. She nodded. "Of course. We'll make a trip to the kitchen. Do you think you could walk?"SHe asked. Desmond paused. Could he? The only thing that really had pain was his right arm. He could try. Desmond began to stand up, aided by Kara's strong grip. He happened to glance at her hand and was confused to discover she had a finger missing. What the hell happened to her finger? "Walk with me Desmond."Kara said, turning her back on him.

"Steven, continue up on the Abstergo thing. Make sure they have no idea where Desmond is."She ordered. Steven nodded and walked out of the room. "Jeremy, take a walk around the building, make sure our security isn't faulty."Jeremy nodded as well and repeated what Steven did. "Whatcha got for me Kara?"Jacob asked excitedly. "Jacob, I want you to find Desmond a hidden blade. He'll need one."Jacob nodded and exited the room as well. Kara turned back to Desmond. "Up for some information?"She asked. Desmond nodded and followed after Kara, pleased to discover his legs worked just fine.

* * *

After a quick tour around the building, Desmond and Kara ended up in the makeshift kitchen, sitting at the table. Desmond was drinking water like it was going out of style and was happily munching on crackers. He looked much better than he had when he woke up, Kara noted. The only thing that seemed to be bugging him was his right arm. She made a mental note to have Jeremy check it out after they were done here. "So can I ask you a question?"Desmond spoke up. Kara nodded. "Of course. Ask away."

"Who are you guys? As far I as remember, I've never met any of you, but you all came and saved me."

"Well Desmond, we're Assassins, like you are. A few days after we got the news that you had given up your life to save the rest of the world I got this..."Kara paused, trying to find the right word. "Let's call it a hunch. I got a hunch that you weren't dead like everyone thought you were. I was very pleased to discover I was right."She said. "I figured you'd be happier with us than being stuck in Abstergo again."Desmond nodded, accepting this information. Taking a bite of the cracker in his hand, a thought occurred to him. "What about my Dad? And Shaun and Rebecca? Do they know I'm okay?"

"Not yet. We're working on finding them and contacting them. So far the only ones who know you're alive is this group. I'd like to keep the number of people who know you're alive minimal too. Once Abstergo figures out you're alive, we're going to have a lot harder time getting around."

"Will I be allowed to see my Dad when you find him?"

"Of course you will. I don't run a prison Desmond. Whenever we find him, you're free to see him. Your friends too."She gave him a slight smile. "Anymore questions?"

Desmond nodded. "What exactly am I supposed to be doing while I'm in your group? More Animus sessions?"He asked, a slight bitterness in his tone. Kara rubbed her neck and chuckled. "Actually Desmond, we don't even have an Animus. So no more Animus sessions for you."She stated. Desmond rose a brow. "If no more Animus sessions, then how will I be useful?"He asked. Kara stood and began to walk around the table. "You were extremely under utilized in your former group. They gave you the tools they wanted you to have, but rarely took advantage of them. Not here we won't."

"Careful Miles. She'll work you to death. You'd better milk whatever pain you have."Jacob said, walking into the kitchen. "She's been tryna kill us fer years."He said, sitting down next to Desmond.

"I just have high expectations when it comes to you all."Kara stated, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Why's that?"Desmond inquired.

"They were born into the Order, and started training earlier than I did."She informed him. "I, on the other hand, was recruited into the order at 16, and thus got less training time than them. They should be able to do what I do."

"She's also the only idiot that cut her finger off. She was a much nicer gal 'fore that Miles. Too bad you'll never see her good side."Jacob said.

"Why did you cut your finger off?"Desmond asked. Kara flicked her left wrist, unsheathing her hidden blade. She showed Desmond her palm, revealing the blade in the area where her wedding finger should be. That is when Desmond remembered that it used to be an old custom of the Order to cut your wedding finger off as a sign of committment. "Altair is like her hero."Jacob stated. "She worships him, I think. Has dreams bout him, you know."

"One of these days Jacob, I'm going to 'slip' and accidently lose my blade in your throat."Kara threatened.

"So violent Kara."He commented, turning to Desmond. "Here, take this. Might need it to survive in Kara's company."He placed a hidden blade in front Desmond, who picked it up, inspecting it. "Think you can still use one of those Miles?"Jacob asked in teasing. Chuckling, Desmond nodded. "Pretty sure it's set in my genes to never forget how."He said. Jacob smirked. "Care to show me some of your moves?"He challenged.

"You can harass Desmond later. First I want him to get his arm checked out by Jeremy. I want to make sure that his arm isn't going to give out or pain him before we do anything physical."Kara said. Jacob slumped in his chair in defeat. "Fine."He said in a clipped voice. "Take him to Jeremy would you? I need to check in with Steven."Kara ordered. Jacob sighed and stood, as did Desmond. "Want me to hold his hand too?"He asked. Kara shrugged. "Hey, what you do during your free time is none of my business."She said, earning her a glare from Jacob. "Let's go Miles."He said, gesturing for Desmond to follow him. Kara watched as the two men walked away. Desmond seemed to have no visible side effects of being almost killed. She could only hope none would show up that weren't visible. They needed Desmond healthy. They needed his help to defeat the still silent Juno.

**Well then. Here's a chapter for you. Lotsa talking, I know. Um...Let's see...my muses are dead I think. I only have my Desmond muse to help. I usually have a Kara muse too, but she decided to take a fucking vacation I guess. So, if this isn't up to par, I apologize. As usual, I demand your opinions, so review, message, favorite, alert, whatever floats yer boats!**


	4. Chapter 4

Steven smiled when he heard the door open. "Figured you'd show up here." He said to Kara as she took the seat next to him. "Anything new?" She asked. Steven shook his head, regretting having to do so. "Unfortunately, no." He said. "However, I do think I might have a lead on where Desmond's dad might be." Kara nodded. "That's good." She said, although Steven detected she wasn't at all pleased about it.

"You're not looking forward to seeing William, are you?" He asked.

"No. I'm afraid I might strangle him in front of his own son."

Steven couldn't help but chuckle. It was no secret that William Miles and Kara Johnson were not on good terms with each other. Steven figured that the only person who didn't know was Desmond himself. "Let's hope that we have minimal contact then, shall we?" Steven said, returning his gaze back to his computer. "What's Desmond doing now?" He asked, typing away. "Jeremy is making sure he doesn't have any injuries that aren't visible. Basically making sure he's healthy and that he has no side effects from Juno's attack." She answered.

"What are the plans for when Jeremy gives the status of his health?"

"If things go well, we'll start him with a sparing regime with Jacob, to make sure he still retains the techniques that he learned from his ancestors. Once he is up to my standards, he'll be treated just like you guys are."

"Poor guy. He better stay damaged if he knows what's good for him."

Kara rolled her eyes. "You guys act like I treat you like slaves."

Steven shot a smile at her. "Don't worry boss, you're a good slave master." He said, winking. Kara shook her head and stood to leave. "Just let me know if you need anything, or if you have anything useful to share." She said, beginning to walk away from the ginger man. "Oh, before I forget, we'll have to make a supply run soon. We're running low." Steven said without looking over his shoulder at Kara. "Alright." Kara said, making note to send Jeremy and Jacob out later. "Maybe that can be something Desmond can do?" Steven suggested. She nodded. "Good idea. I'll see how he feels. If he's up to it, would you go along with him?"

"Sure thing, boss."

* * *

"Firstly, take the hoodie off." Jeremy instructed. Desmond nodded and did so, slightly wincing. His body was painfully stiff. His eyes widened when he noticed the burn marks that seemed to engulf his right arm. "Is this the hand you used to touch that orb?" Jeremy asked, grabbing Desmond's arm gently. Desmond nodded, still in awe at how damaged his right arm seemed to be. Jeremy softly ran his fingers over the burn marks, and his eyes widened. "I don't…understand." He whispered to himself.

"What?" Desmond asked.

Jeremy's brows drew together, and he flipped Desmond's arm over. He felt the burn marks on the underside as well, like he had done the other side. "Does your arm hurt right now?" He questioned. Desmond paused and tried to see if he could pinpoint any pain. "It doesn't hurt, as much as it feels weak and stiff. This is my dominant hand, so I don't think it should feel weaker than my left, should it?"

"No. It shouldn't."

Silence burned at Desmond's ears as Jeremy continued to examine his arm. "When you touched the orb, you felt shock and pain throughout your whole body, right? Not just your arm?" Jeremy asked. Desmond tried to bring his memory back to his encounter with Juno, the day he was supposed to die. "Yeah. It felt like my entire body was being electrocuted." He said. Jeremy sighed, seemingly in confusion. "I don't get it."

"Could you maybe share with me what you don't get?"

Jeremy ran his fingers along the marks on Desmond's right arm again. "These," He said, gesturing to them. "are already scarred." He stated. Desmond looked at his arm in confusion. Scarring took a while, didn't it? Exactly how long had he been out? "It doesn't make any sense that they scarred this early. It seemed like they scarred almost immediately too. It also doesn't make any sense that they stayed only on your right arm, especially if your entire body was feeling the pain." Jeremy's words only confused Desmond. "So, to reiterate, is there any pain at all currently? I need to know before I report back to Kara."

Desmond shook his head. There wasn't any pain, even the stiffness was slowly leaving. He just felt weaker than he cared for. "I have a headache, but that's about it. And I'm used to those."

"Yes, the Bleeding Effect does give terrible headaches I've heard."

Desmond finally brought up a question that he had been itching to ask since he left that woman's presence. "Do you all really not have an Animus?" Jeremy chuckled a little. "Nope. Sorry Desmond, but we do everything here the good old fashioned way. No more sessions for you, my friend." He said. "And don't worry. If you feel like you aren't contributing enough, just let Kara know. I'm more than positive she'll be pleased to give you more work."

"I still don't understand how she knew…"

"Join the club Desmond. She didn't even tell us."

"Is she a good leader? Why is she the leader? Why does she follow Altair's ways?" Desmond found himself suddenly wanting to know everything about this woman that rescued him. He still didn't understand how she was able to know he hadn't died when even he himself didn't know. Jeremy laughed at Desmond's questions. "Kara is a very good leader, one of the best in my opinion. She's the leader because she's the smartest, and she's good at making tough choices. As for Altair's ways, even I'm not entirely sure on that one. You'll have to ask her." Jeremy glanced at Desmond. "I'm more than positive if you ask her, she'll tell you. You're kind of important to her right now, so she'll do pretty much anything to keep you happy."

Desmond still found himself questioning this Kara's intentions. If she didn't want him for Animus sessions, then what did she want?

"You have big shoes to fill, Desmond. She's convinced herself that you're the key to defeating Juno."

"What if I'm not? Is she just going to toss me aside?"

"Doubt it. She put too much work into getting you here to do that. She'll just put you to work like she does us. Not a big deal." Jeremy looked at his watch and then back at Desmond. "Alright, I've decided that you're healthy for now. We'll get you back into fighting shape in no time. Jacob will probably be more than happy to spar with you to muscle you up again. Just don't push too far, and hurt yourself. Kara would blame me." He said. Desmond nodded in understanding. "Let's go tell Kara about your condition so she can relax." Jeremy suggested, and motioned for Desmond to follow him. "Oh, one last thing before we leave this room. Steven, Jacob and I have one rule for you. It's a rule that you have to follow more strictly than any rule you've ever followed before."

"What rule?"

"Never, ever, bring up the name Damien in front of Kara."

"Why not?"

Jeremy sighed. "Just. Don't do it. If she wants you to know, she'll tell you. Just do not ever bring up that name. Especially if you want the answers you so desperately seek." Desmond nodded hesitantly. "Good. Now. To find Kara."

* * *

"This is the training room. Kara likes to keep us fit." Jeremy said, flipping on lights that illuminated the large room. Desmond was amazed at the things he saw. There was actual exercise equipment, and there were several training weapons. A large blue mat was in the middle of the room. "How did you guys get all of this stuff?" Desmond asked, completely surprised that a group of only four Assassins could have all of this. "This warehouse isn't just a typical warehouse. It's a storage one, you know, one where people would store the stuff they didn't have room for. It's interesting the amount of useful stuff we found. We still haven't cracked open everything. We got really lucky with this find. We got even luckier that Steven's parents offered to buy it for us."

"Steven's parents? Are they Assassins as well?"

"I heard my name." Said none other than Steven. Desmond looked over his shoulder and saw the ginger bearded man walking towards them. "Taking a break from your computers, Steven?" Jeremy asked. Steven smiled and nodded. "Thought I'd come check on our hero. Interestingly enough, I heard my name. Why are we talking about me?" The Irishman asked. "Your parents? Are they Assassins?" Desmond asked. Steven looked at Jeremy and rolled his eyes at him. "You told him that my parents bought the place, didn't you?" He asked. Jeremy nodded. "My parents were Assassins. Not anymore, though. They just run a very successful electronics store now. That's where we get our funding from. This way, money can be distributed to the other Branches of the Order that need it more than we do. They're the Leonardo da Vinci to our Ezio." He joked.

Desmond chuckled, remembering well how helpful the inventor had been to his ancestor.

"Can I ask you a question, Desmond?" Steven said.

"Sure."

"What was it like, you know, reliving the memories of your ancestors?"

"If I hadn't been in a rush to finish them, I would say it was pretty cool. It was very interesting to see how they lived, what they did, and how they contributed to the Order."

Steven nodded, accepting this answer. "If you want brownie points, tell Kara something about Altair that isn't in the books. She'll eat it up." Desmond found himself smiling slightly, knowing that someone admired his ancestor as much as this Kara seemed to. He made a note to ask her why whenever he got the chance.

"If we're all in the training room, then who's keeping watch? Hmm?"

"We're showing Desmond the training room." Jeremy said.

"I noticed that, but that doesn't change that no one is on watch right now. I know that we feel safe here, but we still can't let our guard down." Kara said.

"Don't worry about it, boss. Jacob's on watch. I made sure before I came down here." Steven said.

Kara nodded in approval. "So, Desmond, what's the health status?" She questioned. "Jeremy says it's all good. At least for now. Only painful thing going on is a headache." Desmond replied. She nodded again. "Think you'll be okay to start sparing? I want you to get strong." She questioned. Desmond nodded, not seeing why he wouldn't be able to spar. "Good. You'll start with Jacob, and you'll work your way up to me." She said. Desmond was interested to see how that sparing session went. If she used Altair's techniques, Desmond was sure he could predict her moves easily enough.

"Jeremy, Steven, think you could take up Jacob's watch? I would do it, but I want to watch this sparing session. I want to make sure Jacob doesn't hurt Desmond."

"Sure thing, boss." Steven said almost immediately. Desmond noticed how obedient Steven seemed to be. Actually, all of them seemed to be really obedient. Did they really trust Kara that much? Was that a good thing, to trust someone so much that you did whatever they said to without question? Desmond wasn't sure. "Hey Jacob, Kara wants you to come spar with Desmond. Steve and I are gonna take over your watch." Jeremy said into his walkie. A few seconds later, and a reply was received.

"YES! I'll be right down." Jacob almost screamed in delight. Desmond found himself amused by Jacob's seemingly childish antics. He was curious to see how he handled himself in hand to hand combat.

Very literally seconds after Steven and Jeremy left, Jacob showed up, breathing heavily. "Did you run here?" Kara asked. Jacob shot her a grin. "I did. I wanted to get here before you changed your mind." He said. Kara shook her head in amusement and took a seat, crossing one leg over the other and crossing her arms over her chest. "Alright, let's get this started." She said. Jacob grinned again, and slipped off his shirt. "You ready for this, Miles?" He asked Desmond.

"Only one way to find out."

As the two began their sparing session, Kara watched with analytic eyes. She was very pleased to see that Desmond seemed to still retain all of the abilities he learned from his ancestors. While he remembered what to do, his reflexes seemed to not want to cooperate right away, and he was often thrown on his back by Jacob. Kara could see his growing frustration and was interested to see how he handled frustration. Hopefully it would do some good.

"C'mon, ain't you supposed to be from a line of epic fighters?" Jacob taunted as he once again put Desmond on his back. Jacob kneeled down next to Desmond's head. "If you can't beat me, how you expect to beat Kara? I'm man 'nough to admit she's better'n me." He pointed out. "Least you still remember what to do. We'll work on it some more, get your reflexes to match up with what your brain's thinking. You did better'n what I thought you would." Jacob reached a hand out towards Desmond, who took it. Jacob helped Desmond up to a standing position and then turned to Kara.

"He did good, didn't he?" Jacob asked.

Kara nodded. "He did. Like Jacob said, we'll work on it some more, and you'll be back into your normal stride in no time."

Desmond nodded, although slightly irritated he couldn't knock Jacob on his back. Ezio would be appalled. "Jacob, put a shirt on." Kara said, tossing him his shirt. He caught it effortlessly and slipped it back on. "What's on the agenda now?" He asked.

"I think Desmond did enough for today. I don't want to push it, just in case there's still some things going on we don't know about." Kara looked at Desmond. "You hungry? Your stomach should be able to handle a full meal by now." Desmond silently agreed with her. He was indeed hungry. Those crackers didn't exactly last too long. "Alright. Jacob, come on. We'll have dinner. Then we'll switch up the watch so Jeremy and Steven can eat too."

* * *

Steven was on his way to switch shifts with Kara when he heard a string of Italian yell out. The only one who knew Italian in this group was Kara. But this voice sounded masculine, not feminine. Pausing, he waited to see if it happened again. It did. And Steven knew where it was coming from. Steven broke out into a run towards Desmond's room, and found Kara already there. "I heard him scream." Steven told her. She nodded. "So did I." She said, opening the door. Steven glanced over her head and saw Desmond, still asleep, thrashing wildly about.

"He's having a nightmare." He said, pointing out the obvious.

"Alistair said that he had really bad nightmares. Part of the Bleeding Effect. I was hoping that they would have stopped, but I suppose not." Kara said.

"I feel bad for him. He's had to go through things no one should ever have to go through."

"That's what Abstergo does, Steven. They do horrible things to good people. And for what? Power. Control."

"I really can't see how anyone would want to be on that side of the War. I'm glad I'm on this side, fighting for something worthwhile."

"As am I, as am I."

The pair drifted into silence as Desmond continued the have his nightmare. There was nothing they could do, but watch and make sure he didn't hurt himself in the process. Kara breathed a sigh of relief when he finally settled down and stopped thrashing. "I think you can go to bed now, Steven." She said. He nodded, stifling a yawn. "Be careful, boss." He said, before walking past her to go to his own room. Kara lingered at Desmond's door a moment longer, mulling over the day. He was healthy, or so it seemed, and he was willing to work on his abilities more. This was lucky. It'd been so luck since she'd had a string of good luck. Kara could only hope that the good luck would continue.

**Hello there. I know, I'm awful with updates. I blame my other Assassin's Creed story. Cesare Borgia is an attention hog. Anyway, I have an explanation. I changed the name because the old was one annoying and stupidly simple. So now it's better. I feel better. Also the summary needed work too, so I changed that up a bit. Good news is, my muses are actually working for once. So next chapter shouldn't take three months like this one -_-. Hopefully we'll get into some action soon! I might just ask my best friend to teach me to write violence so I can write out these sparing scenes XD. Review my dears! It makes me happy!**


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